Numerous efforts have been made to improve the nutritive value, digestibility, palatability, shelf-life, and appearance of animal feed products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,118 issued Nov. 26, 1968 and having for named inventor Boris Kviesitis describes a livestock feed containing a non-protein nitrogen compound selected from urea and ammonium salts. The non-protein nitrogen compound is in the form of particles coated with an emulsion comprised of propylene glycol, vegetable oil, vegetable wax and lecithin, and a quantity of a palatability increasing agent which is absorbed in the coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,801 issued Oct. 3, 1978 and having for named inventors Clarence C. Dannelly and Charles R. Leonard discloses an apparatus for spray coating discrete particles while the particles are suspended in a gas flow, the apparatus including a vertically disposed coating chamber; a gas receiving, compressing and accelerating enclosure open at the top and bottom, such as a truncated hollow cone, within the chamber and including therewithin coating and drying zones and forming on the outside thereof therebetween it and the inside wall surface of the coating chamber an annular storage zone for a load of the discrete particles; one or more gas shaping or aerodynamic structures centrally disposed in spaced relation below the truncated hollow cone defining therebetween with the apparatus inside wall surface an annular nozzle for a Coanda flow of upwardly moving gases substantially into the truncated hollow cone; a particle supporting screen between the truncated hollow cone and the aerodynamic structure(s); at least one spray nozzle extending above the central aerodynamic structure and projecting through the particle supporting screen for providing an atomized spray of coating material within the truncated hollow cone; and a source of upwardly moving gases from below the aerodynamic structure(s).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,675 issued Feb. 14, 1984 to named inventors Jack J. Schroeder and John E. Findley discloses a sugar solution-based, preferably molasses-based, animal feed supplement which is produced as a viscous liquid that is gelled into a hard solid by the addition of a soluble calcium salt or oxide, preferably calcium oxide, a soluble phosphate, and a substantial quantity of magnesium oxide. Prior to its solidification a limited amount of discrete cellulose fibers can also be added to reinforce the solid and prevent its cracking. The solid product is hard and water resistant and has a limited consumption rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,463 issued Jul. 9, 1991 and having for named inventor Jeffrey C. Evans discloses a coating for animal feeds; more particularly a coating composition comprising cane molasses for animal feeds which provides a golden brown color and free-flow characteristics to such feeds. When cane molasses or cane molasses/fat is treated with phosphoric acid, phosphate or polyphosphate salts, or various acids, the resulting composition provides a golden brown color, improves the free-flow characteristics, and improves tackiness retention of the feed to which it is applied. Addition of an emulsifier to a cane molasses/fat coating composition eliminates spottiness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,102 issued Apr. 20, 1993 and having Richard G. Coles and Ian J. Broadfoot as named inventors, discloses a process and apparatus for treating cottonseed to make an animal feedstuff. The process preferably includes the steps of initially partially delinting the whole cottonseed by singeing the cottonseed in an open flame and removing the charcoal that is produced during such singeing by abrasion such as passing the flame delinted seed through a buffing trommel. The partially delinted cottonseed is then coated with a “binder” and a “filler” combination to cement the cotton fibers to the seed and provide a cementitious base to which the filler is adhered so as to completely encapsulate the seed and provide an integral flowable product. The binder initially has a sticky or tacky consistency but is capable of setting to a solid state when mixed with the filler. The suitable “binders” are gums such as gum arabic, starches, lignasite, and molasses. The suitable “fillers” are inert mineral powders such as calcium carbonate, lime, diatomaceous earth, forms of clay such as bentonite and kaolin, extruded or textured proteins such as those derived from soybeans, and ground cereal grains such as corn, wheat, barely, maize, and sorghum, and mixtures thereof. Optional “additives” to the coating are generally described as vitamins, minerals, trace elements, veterinarian products for the prevention, control or eradication of disease, and growth stimulating factors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,754 issued Nov. 15, 1994 and having Richard G. Coles and Ian J. Broadfoot as named inventors is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,102 that expands its definition of “binders” to include a syrup such as corn syrup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,466 issued May 12, 1998 and having Thomas C. Wedegaertner, Thomas D. Valco, and William F. Lalor as named inventors discloses coating linter-bearing cottonseed with starch and one or more biologically related materials generally described as being selected from the group consisting of vitamins, feed supplements, oils, fats, ores, rodent repellants, insect repellants, medications, antigermination agents, and preservatives for use as an animal feed and as planting stock. The starch coating is intended to allow the cottonseed to be used in conventional feed handling and seed planting equipment. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,466, the process for coating cottonseed consists essentially of the steps of: (a) spraying linter-bearing cottonseed with a coating consisting essentially of a hot, aqueous, gelatinized starch suspension, optionally containing one or more of the listed biologically related materials; (b) drying the starch suspension coated cottonseed to yield starch coated cottonseed; (c) disaggregating the starch coated cottonseed; and (d) cooling and: storing the starch-coated cottonseed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,773 issued Feb. 16, 1999 to named inventors Lyle M. Rode, William E. Julien, Hiroyuki Sato, Takeshi Fujieda, and Hiroyuki Suzuki discloses combining a rumen-protected lysine and/or methionine composition with a standard animal feed wherein a lysine and/or methionine core composition is protected with a coating of lecithin, at least one inorganic substance which is stable in neutrality and soluble under acidic conditions, and at least one substance selected from saturated or unsaturated monocarboxylic C.sub.14-C.sub.22 acids, salts thereof, hardened vegetable oils, hardened animal oils, and waxes, wherein the methionine source to lysine source weight ratio in the core, when methionine is present, is from 1/10 to 10/1, preferably 1/3. More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,773 discloses a preferred embodiment wherein the lecithin is present in an amount of from 0.1% to 20% by weight and the inorganic substance is used in an amount from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the weight of the coating composition. It also discloses a rumen-protected lysine/methionine composition wherein the core is coated with substances including a polymer as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,996,067 and 4,937,083.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,414 issued Oct. 26, 1999 to named inventor Joseph M. Harris discloses a process of treating whole cottonseed to improve the handleability and digestibility of the cottonseed is provided. In general, the process comprises the steps of: (a) adjusting the pH to equal or less than three of an aqueous composition having a sugar concentration of at least 5 percent by weight; and (b) applying the aqueous composition to whole cottonseed. According to another aspect of the invention, the process further comprises the step of drying the whole cottonseed after applying the aqueous composition. According to a modified process of treating whole cottonseed to improve the handleability and digestibility of the cottonseed, the process comprises the steps of: (a) applying an aqueous sugar composition having a sugar concentration to of at least 5 percent by weight to the whole cottonseed; and (b) applying an acidic aqueous solution having a pH equal to or less than three to the whole cottonseed. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the treated whole cottonseed product of the process is used as a new feed ingredient for animal feed, particularly a ruminant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,269 issued Apr. 18, 2000 to named inventor Joseph M. Harris discloses a process of treating whole cottonseed to improve the handleability and digestibility of the cottonseed is provided. In general, the process comprises the steps of: (a) adjusting the pH to equal or greater than eight of an aqueous composition having a sugar concentration of at least 5 percent by weight; and (b) applying the aqueous composition to whole cottonseed. According to another aspect of the invention, the process further comprises the step of drying the whole cottonseed after applying the aqueous composition. According to a modified process of treating whole cottonseed to improve the handleability and digestibility of the cottonseed, the process comprises the steps of: (a) applying an aqueous sugar composition having a sugar concentration of at least 5 percent by weight to the whole cottonseed; and (b) applying a basic aqueous solution having a pH equal to or greater than eight to the whole cottonseed. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the treated whole cottonseed product of the process is used as a new feed ingredient for animal feed, particularly a ruminant.
Thus, a long-felt and continuing need exists for processes and compositions that improve the nutritive value, digestibility, palatability, shelf-life, and appearance of animal feed products.